NDTV Purchases Six Kahuna SD/HD Multiformat Production Switchers

November 7, 2007

New Delhi Television Ltd. (NDTV), an Indian private news and current affairs channel, has purchased six Snell & Wilcox 4-M/E Kahuna SD/HD multiformat production switchers to support its NDTV MetroNation news channels, which will provide local news and current affairs to five metropolitan areas.

"We chose to standardize on the Kahuna because in this competitive world, one has to invest in the best", said NDTV Senior Technology Officer Jay Chauhan. "When we evaluated Kahuna, we felt it was a product much ahead of its time, and we were impressed with its advanced technology. It can be upgraded easily and will be an asset to our business for a long time".

NDTV is a long-time Snell & Wilcox customer, already employing Snell & Wilcox switchers, image processing and IQ Modular infrastructure gear at its facilities in New Delhi. The six new Kahuna production switchers will serve as the workhorses behind NDTV's MetroNation channels.

NDTV will begin using each Kahuna system in SD-only mode, but the switcher's easy HD upgrade path, which enables multiformat SD/HD use or HD-only use, gives the broadcaster future flexibility in working with and combining the two formats, says NDTV.